About this Website

Everything here is under construction

Who?

My name is Brian Chapel. Aside from being a DXer, I am interested in science in general and planetary science in particular. I have worked as a geophysicist, software developer, college instructor, and private tutor. The latter is my current occupation. I specialize in the mathematics and physics but sometimes also do chemistry and computer science work. The best way for anyone to contact me privately, even if just to report errors in grammar or ISO spelling, is by using the spam-filtered form on my work website.

This website is for anyone interested in DXing but the most likely people to visit it are those who already know me. Some knowledge of Vancouver Island in general, and the Capital Regional District (CRD) in particular, might also make the content more interesting.

My rarely-used amateur radio call sign is VE7AUL. My almost-unused SWARL call sign is VE7011SWL.

What?

For the purposes of this website, a DXer is someone who participates in the recreational activity called DXing. Think of it as a form of radio listening where the source is more important than the content. This is not to be confused with DXing as practised by amateur radio hobbyists who seek to both hear and be heard by the operators of radio stations in as many distant and obscure places as possible. When pushed to their limits, both types of DXing require patience, the ability to listen very carefully, and a good understanding of radio equipment and radio wave propagation.

The LW, MW, and SW abbreviations used on this web site refer to the longwave, medium wave, and shortwave parts of the radio spectrum, respectively.

Where?

Vancouver Island is the large (about 1/3 the land area of England) island just off the west coast of Canada. I live at the southeastern end of it but like to travel to other parts and to the smaller islands between this one and the mainland of British Columbia. Most of my DXing is done from my home in an ordinary residential neighbourhood but with my purchase, in December 2013, of an inexpensive and extremely portable Tecsun PL-380 receiver I have been eager to seek out more electromagnetically-quiet locations.

When?

I started DXing around the same time as humans were walking on the Moon. My participation in the hobby has fluctuated ever since, mostly being influenced by where I lived and the people I knew. Compared to most recreational activities, DXing is quite obscure. In 2007 I was fortunate to meet three local DXers. As a result of conversations with them, I started using active loop antennas. That drastically reduced the electromagnetic interference I was getting from consumer products and made DXing from home practical. That began my current incarnation as a DXer.

Why?

The activities I enjoy the most are the ones I share the most. This website is here to help me share DXing with anyone else who is interested. Email and social media have their uses but this site should give me a convenient way of sharing ideas and information.

How?

I tend to think in terms of projects. DXing is no exception. My radio listening activities fall into the following categories, each with a corresponding project page on this website.

1. Utility Stations
2. 9 kHz LW and MW
3. 10 kHz MW
4. Shortwave Broadcasts
5. FM Broadcast Band
6. Amateur

Just as bird watchers count the number of species they have seen over a period of time or keep life lists, DXers like to count new things that they have heard. For example, some will put effort into hearing as many different broadcast stations as possible over a lifetime while others may count the number of countries, states, or counties from which they have heard a radio transmission in the course of a calendar year. Though less common than in the past, some DXers seek listening awards from organizations that make up their own rules about what counts toward a goal. For each of my projects I have my own definition of what deserves a new entry in a logbook.